If you knew this was going to be your last year on earth what would you do, who would you spend it with, who would you call, and what are you waiting for? At a recent family get-together, one of the family members pulled back her bangs, and showed us the gift of Botox.
Friends, time is moving forward.
If you knew this was going to be your last year on earth what would you do, who would you spend it with, who would you call, and what are you waiting for? A man who knew he was dying-in the final stages of his illness was visited at home by his doctor.
"Listen, today is probably your last.
Do you want me to tell your wife?" the doctor asked.
Weakly, he nodded.
The man dozed, drifting in and out of awareness.
In a semi-conscious state he thought he smelled chocolate chip cookies.
"This is it," he thought.
"I'm in heaven.
God knows that chocolate chip cookies are my favorite.
" The smell was wafting up from downstairs.
Summoning every last bit of energy he possessed; slowly and painfully he crawled out of bed and made it to the staircase.
Step by slow, deliberate step he descended, the smell growing ever stronger.
Finally he reached the first floor and turned into the kitchen, leaning on the wall for support.
Every inch of surface space was taken up with chocolate chip cookies.
They were cooling on racks, stacked in Tupperware, lying on dishtowels, and waiting on cookie sheets to be baked.
The man smiled as a tear slid down his cheek.
"My wife," he thought.
"The doctor told her.
Bless her for thinking of this.
" He reached out a hand for a cookie.
Just as he grabbed one, a spatula reached out and smacked his hand.
"Stay out of those," his wife commanded.
"They're for the funeral!" A favorite story amongst chocolate lovers, baby boomers, and pastors...
the above story reflects our human tendency to wait.
If I were to ask you: What are you waiting for? What would your answer be? Perhaps a better question is: "What are we procrastinating?" For some, just knowing life is short may not be compelling enough to overcome our tendency to wait and/or procrastinate.
We may need a fresh, up to the minute and compelling sense of purpose to overcome our tendencies.
Author Sandra Felton and co-author Marsha Sims, in their latest book, Organizing Your Day stress the importance of asking yourself what is your chief purpose in life, and how can that work out in your daily activities.
The late Jim Rohn declares: "Some people are disturbed by those tough days because all they have is the days.
They haven't designed or described or defined the future.
" Have You? "Many people are too busy making a living to make life worth living," says author Croft Pentz.
Ouch! Suppose you and I press the pause button this week.
It's been said that the subway is the most energy-efficient means of transportation.
Why? Because it runs on a track.
Let's put our lives on a set of rails going where we want it to go.
Suppose we map out a plan: 30 Days/30 Steps to the Life We Love.
Return to the question at the top of today's article.
Write down your answers to the question: "If you knew this was going to be your last year on earth what would you do, who would you spend it with, who would you call, and what are you waiting for?" You may be thinking, But I don't have time! Or I don't know what my purpose is.
Or, life is OK the way it is.
Or, I've already lived my life.
Or, it's too late for me.
Or, I've tried to change and I failed.
I relate to every one of these declarations.
There are days, I want to give up.
Cash it in.
Say it's too late.
Or that's not going to happen.
Yet, then I smile when I reflect upon today's story.
That man, on his deathbed, managed one more time to drag himself downstairs, step by step, and reach out- for that which brought a smile to his face.
A chocolate chip cookie.
Lately, I've been reflecting on many a life paradox: Why is it we have time for the funeral, but not the life? Why is it we have time to look for something, yet we don't have time to put it away? Why is it easier to stick with an unproductive job or habit, than to reach out for a new one? Why is it easier to hold onto grudges than to forgive? Why is it simpler to run through our favorite coffee house drive through than to run through the emotions tugging at our hearts? We all live under the illusion that there is time.
Or that past failures and clinging habits will never allow us to wear a wardrobe of victory.
We lie comfortably, complacently under the bed sheets of our routines and schedules-thinking someday.
Or no way.
It's a lie folks.
Life IS short.
Let's you and I press the pause button.
Let's develop a strong sense of our life purpose, and back it up with a dynamic daily plan to get there.
Take time this week to reflect upon what would be the perfect life for you, which is another way of saying, link into God's best purposes for your life.
Link into the daily joys of life and living He has for you.
It's the hardest thing to make time for.
In the words of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, pulling away from the routine feels like an amputation of sorts.
Yet, without this time for reflection and renewal of purpose and joy, we will continue on the set of rails we're on.
It's tough to jump off the moving train of our daily schedules and routines, but jump we must, if we want to overcome our human tendency to wait.
And procrastinate.
"If you're not doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how long you live.
If you're doing something with your life, then it doesn't matter how short your life may be.
A life is not measured by years lived, but by its usefulness.
If you are giving, loving, serving, helping, encouraging, and adding value to others, then you're living a life that counts!" -John C.
Maxwell Let's live a life that counts folks.
Don't Wait.
Keep reaching for those cookies! Libba Narron Lewey ©2010 All Rights Reserved Worldwide calebcommunity.
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